Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 13 - Shadow of Death: The Book Of War

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

In the wake of the battle at Garfield High, Jefferson Pierce is barely clinging to life as Tobias Whale marshals his forces to move against Martin Proctor and The ASA.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella, the Green Lantern comics of Geoff Johns (the new Tattoo Man) and The Manchurian Candidate (Whale's control of Lala through a trigger phrase.)


Goofs

So the ASA has special weapons to take down both Black Lightning and Thunder, but they don't bother taking any of the Black Lighting weapons to storm Gambi's cabin just in case it turns out he isn't dead?


Performances

Again, it has to be stated what a delight that Marvin "Krondon" Jones is in the role of Tobias Whale. Krondon has made Whale into one of those rare villains you find yourself rooting for just because he's so amusing even as he's being a total bastard.


Artistry

The opening sequence in which we see Jefferson use his powers for the first time as a child and how Gambi saved him is perfect. The black and white filming, heavy rain and music give the whole thing a Film Noir feel that's very gripping. It also makes it stand out all the stronger when the blue lightning effects kick in. The same is true of the later flashback scenes and the moment in the afterlife where Jefferson seems to talk to his father.


Trivia

The DCTVU version of Tobias Whale is said to take a special serum which has given him the strength of three men. In the classic Black Lighting comics, Whale was a large man weight close to 400 pounds and while he was described as being incredibly strong, his strength was within standard human limits.

The DCTVU version of Tobias Whale is also said to take a serum that slows his aging. This appears to be based on The 100 in the classic Superman and Black Lighting comics - a cabal of mystics who were able to gain immortality by feeding on the suffering of others. The same name was used by a gang in Metroplis' Suicide Slum district, which was overseen by Tobias Whale, who was ignorant of the power wielded by his bosses.

The DCTVU version of Syonide is said to have been found in a dumpster when she was an infant, with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She was adopted by Tobias Whale at the age of eight and trained as his personal assassin. He later had carbon-fiber body armor implanted under her skin - a painful process Gambi says stripped away what little sanity she had left.

This background most closely resembles that of the second Syonide - an unnamed female assassin who was an enemy of Black Lightning and The Outsiders. Though she was not raised by Tobias Whale, she did work for him almost exclusively and took up the weapons and name of the first Syonide after the original died while working for Whale. She did not, it should be noted, have any metahuman powers or physical enhancements.

Tobias gives Khalil the codename Painkiller. This is also the name of a super-villain from the 1995 Black Lightning series, who first appeared in Black Lightning (Vol. 2) #2. In addition to having his spine healed, Painkiller has the ability to secret a neurotoxin and fire darts that paralyze a target. (Strangely enough, this is similar to the methodology of the original Syonide from the first Black Lightning comics.)

The original Painkiller was a metahuman who had the power to temporarily anesthetize any part of the human body. He could use this power to shut down his target's ability to use any of their five senses or cause a person to become unable to run as they lost all feeling in their legs. This effect was temporary, however, and did not last long. Neither did Painkiller, who was killed in Black Lightning (Vol. 2) #4.

Tobias refers to Lala as "Tattoo Man". This would seem to be the DCTVU version of the classic Green Lantern villain The Tattooed Man.

Lala most closely resembles the third version of The Tattooed Man, Mark Walters, who first appeared in Green Lantern (Vol. 4) #9 (April 2006). A former Marine who was presumed dead after his helicopter exploded, Walters emerged years later in Gotham City working as a hit man who attacked people with a series of seemingly animated tattoos. Walters claimed that his tattoos were formed from the sins of the people he had killed and that he took them upon himself through a process called sin-grafting, bringing their souls peace.

Rather than having the ability to bring his tattoos to life, Lala's tattoos of the people he killed are said to be a side effect of the reanimation process Tobias used to bring him back to life. Tobias claims that every person Lala ever killed will come back to haunt him, tattooing themselves onto his body until there's no skin left.


Technobabble

Metahumans are people whose superpowers come from within.

Tobias Whale and his team all gained their powers through artificial means.

Tobias Whale takes a super steroid serum that slows his aging and makes him stronger over time. He currently has the strength of three men.

Gambi guesses that Khalil was given a spinal implant with a synthetic liquid metal. It braces his spine but also causes his body to produce a neurotoxin that causes instant paralysis like a snake's venom.

Thanks to a brown out, all the Stage-One subjects from The ASA's experiment are ten hours away from death without a stable DNA profile to overwrite the bad DNA. This would leave them with four Stage-Two subjects.

The ASA is able to track Jefferson by searching power company records for electrical surges following Tobias Whale's attack on Garfield High.

The ASA agents sent to Gambi's cabin are armed with guns that generate a force-field that neutralize Thunder's ability to generate sonic attacks.


Dialogue Triumphs

Gambi: Take my advice and leave this alone. Think about your son!
Alvin Pierce: I am thinking about my son. I had Jefferson take that damn vaccine and it was tainted. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?!
Gambi: There's no reason to get yourself killed over it.
Alvin Pierce: No. There's no reason for YOU to get yourself killed! All the reason I need in the world is sitting in that car over there.

Tobias Whale: "I am unlike other men. The laws of conventional morality do not apply to me." That's Napoleon. And he was a weak ass Frenchman. You're Painkiller. Never apologize. So you killed Black Lightning when Proctor wanted him alive? I'm not mad. Martin Proctor was down with Lady Eve. I always knew sooner or later he had to go. Just gonna have to be sooner, that's all. Real soon.

Jefferson: I always wanted to tell you... I'm so sorry.
Alvin Pierce: There's nothing to be sorry for, son.
Jefferson: Black Lightning. All the violence...
Alvin Pierce: Peace ain't always peaceful, son. All the blood, broken bones, pain you suffered...? Only you'll ever know if it was all worth it.
Jefferson: Was it worth it for you? Your death?
Alvin Pierce: I don't know. What i do know is that I'm proud of you, son.

(Jefferson announces his intention to draw the fire of Proctor's men while everyone else escapes.)
Gambi: This is suicide, Jeff.
Jefferson: Light me up, old man.
(Reluctantly, Gambi slides the programming module into Jefferson's suit, powering it up.)

Jefferson: Now, you are making it a habit of saving my life, young lady.
Jennifer: (smiling weakly) Well, this is... this is what we do.

Anissa: They call us heroes, but the real heroes are you - the people, who despite their everyday struggles with life, continue to find hope - maybe even purpose - in what can be a challenging world. We've been given a gift. A blessing from God. And we intend to use it to protect this city and its people.


Dialogue Disasters

90% of Martin Proctor's dialogue. At least. The worst line of the episode? "You want to save Freeland? I want to make America great again!"


Continuity

Peter Gambi approached Alvin Pierce with the expectation of him exposing The ASA's experimentation. He did not expect him to expose the corruption of Tobias Whale that helped enable it.

The only lead the ASA has on Tobias Whale's location is Lala.

Thanks to a brown out, all the Stage-One subjects from The ASA's experiment are ten hours away from death without a stable DNA profile to overwrite the bad DNA. This would leave them with four Stage-Two subjects.

Jefferson Pierce first manifested his powers shocking two riot cops who were attempting to beat him. Later, they manifested again, after he grabbed an electrical fence which should have killed him. Instead, he reflexively absorbed the shock.

Jefferson Pierce didn't fully manifest his powers until 2003.

Lynn says that she had a cold feeling in her stomach at the same time Jefferson flat-lined.

Tobias Whale can control Lala by saying the phrase "The Devil deals the cards." He claims to have spent a million dollars on the process that brought Lala back to life.

Jefferson Pierce was once suspended for breaking the nose of a boy who was picking on him.

It is revealed that the mantra that Jefferson Pierce teaches to his students was first taught to him by his father.

Lala is used as a suicide bomber to take out Proctor, force-fed det-cord.

When Jefferson awakes from his weakened state, he says he can't feel his powers working anymore. Lynn says his vital signs are normal, but Jefferson compares himself to a battery that can no longer hold a charge.

Jennifer has a flare up of her powers as Jefferson gets ready to leave to face the ASA troops. She latches onto Jefferson until the flare-up ends. A few seconds later, Jefferson finds that his powers have been restored.

Lynn knows how to use a rifle after hunting with her father.

Jennifer is able to shoot a focused lighting blast to save Lynn from one of the ASA troops. Her lighting is yellow, in contrast to the white/blue lighting Jefferson seems to redirect. She's eventually able to make an electro-magnetic lasso and throw people around, just like her father.

It is revealed that Martin Proctor was a rogue operative working outside the purview of The ASA.

Gambi kills Martin Proctor.

The ASA's previous operation and Martin Proctor's current group are exposed to the public.

Tobias Whale is revealed to have Martin Proctor's briefcase and - thanks to his agent in the Freeland Corner's Office - the thumbs needed to open it. He says that what is inside will make him the King of Freeland.


Location

Gambi's cabin in the woods north of Freeland.


The Winnick Factor

Martin Proctor is a classic Winickian mustache-twirling villain, unable to speak without uttering a racial slur and about as subtle as the villain in a DARE anti-drug comic.


The Bottom Line

A solid episode that sets the stage for Season Two. The most annoying elements of the series have been cut loose, with the sides set for the on-going battle between Jefferson Piece and Tobias Whale. The villains have been given some much-needed definition, with Synoide starting to show signs of characterization beyond being a silent badass and Khalil reworked into a much more interesting version of Painkiller. It remains to be seen if Lala survived being turned into a suicide bomb but it would be interesting to see this new version of The Tattoo Man played out a bit longer. All in all, it's going to be a long wait for more of this series but I suspect it will be well worth it.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 12 - The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

Tobias Whale returns to Freeland, under orders to capture Black Lightning alive, with the help of an unexpected ally. Thankfully, Jefferson will not be alone when he confronts his father's killer, as both his daughters provide some unexpected help when Garfield High is placed under siege.


Technobabble

Green Light gives ordinary people super-strength, a high pain tolerance and no flight instinct. It also awakens super-powers in potential metahumans, but their survival rate is no better than under the original ASA vaccine.

Gambi says that there are implants that can heal severed spines in lab mice but he thought that technology wasn't ready for humans yet. He says that it must be a billion-dollar technology, at least.

Gambi says that the development of high-output mobile solar power coincided with the sudden end of random power fluctuations on the Freeland power grid. He susepcts The ASA did this to get off the grid so they would be harder to trace.

Tobias Whale has some kind of under-armor that protects him from electrocution.



Dialogue Triumphs

Proctor: How much do you know about (Lady Eve's) operations?
Tobias: Well, let's just say she helped the citizens of Freeland find happiness by muting the pain of their deprivation.
Proctor: Is that what drug dealers tell themselves?
Tobias: You and I have never worked together directly, so... being cautious with my words seemed wise.

(Proctor describes how the ASA project to make the people of Freeland more docile created metahumans instead.)
Proctor: A side effect with strategic implications.
Tobias: Yeah. Meaning in a dangerous situation, a few local folks fight and die, saving the lives of some fancy white boys.

Khalil: Stop with that surrogate daddy act. You don't care about me. I was just another poor, little kid from Freeland for you to parade around to make you and Garfield look good.
Jefferson: That is so not true.
Khalil: Yes it is! As soon as my black ass couldn't run no more... where were you? You wouldn't even let your daughter near me. (turns around and starts to walk away, but spins around) Where's the future, Mr. P? (points to himself) It's right here!

(Gambi goes off to meet a contact, warning Jefferson and Anissa that Proctor will be looking for them.)
Jefferson: Gambi? Proctor will be looking for you too.
Gambi: Yeah. But this old man's not going to save the world. So if he catches me? It's not as big a deal.


Dialogue Disasters

Proctor: Alive, Mister Whale! I need Black Lightning alive!

Proctor: This experiment! Can not! Fail!


Continuity

Tobias Whale is revealed to have been in the care of the ASA since he was shot in 107.

Tobias knows of Martin Proctor, though they have never worked together directly.

Green Light is revealed to be the result of the ASA efforts to stabilize the vaccine formula that was creating metahumans. While it would create more useful soldiers, their bodies still burned out as quickly as the first generation of metahuman test subjects.

Proctor asks Tobias to capture Black Lightning alive, as they think he is a product of their vaccine and the only one to have survived to adulthood that they know of.

Martin Proctor is revealed to finished work on Tobias' project to heal Jennifer's ex-boyfriend Khalil Payne.

Jefferson and Lynn reconcile but decide to keep that a secret from their daughters until they are sure they are ready to get back together.

Tobias has Dwayne - the man who pulled him to safety but left Tori to die - shot by Syonide.

Anissa figures out that 42 kids from the 1980s went missing. Neema makes 43.

Anissa only counted three dozen pods when she discovered the ASA warehouse in 110. Jefferson guesses this means 7 kids died in ASA experiments.

Lynn tells Jennifer that she's going to try and isolate the metagene and find a way to negate it. Jefferson is upset when he learns this.

Khalil's mother says that she was told that Khalil was sent to California as part of some experimental procedure and that she hasn't heard from him since. The contact who set everything up was named Mr. Martin.

Gambi goes after Tommy Hildago - the weapons maker from 109. He gives him 48 hours to give him Proctor.

Khalil tries to reconcile with Jennifer, but he changes his mind after she questions where he got his spinal implant from.

Anissa made use of a man named Marcus Roberts, who graduated a year ahead of her, who now works for FGE. He tracked several power fluctuations for Anissa, finding a likely location for The ASA hideout until about three years earlier.

Khalil attacks Garfield High, throwing darts filled with some kind of neurotixin at the students.

Thunder is able to win a one-on-one fight with Syonide.

The toxic darts seem to stop Jefferson's heart. He is revived by Jennifer using her powers like a defibrillator.

Lala kills Thomas Hildalgo.

Tobias Whale was responsible for Lala's resurrection.

Whale plans to take out Proctor in order to take over the whole operation.


Location

A cabin Gambi keeps in a forest outside Freeland.


The Bottom Line

A surprisingly weak episode by the standards of this series to date. Not bad exactly, but mostly concerned with reviving several long-dead subplots in anticipation of the finale. Not a lot of great dialogue, but the actors sell every line well enough, though the actor playing Proctor apparently decided to attempt the world's worst William Shatner impression with his enunciation this week. Still, the action sequences are thrilling and next week promises to be interesting.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 6 - Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

Jefferson hits the streets to hunt down Tobias Whale as Anissa takes action after a local protest of a Confederate monument turns violent thanks to a group of White Nationalists. Meanwhile, Gambi turns to Lynn for help in stopping Jefferson from going over the line and becoming a killer as Jennifer makes a fateful choice regarding her relationship with Khalil.


Influences

The Green Arrow and Outsiders comics of Judd Winick. (Jefferson Pierce being portrayed as willing to kill.)


Goofs

Why didn't the base of the statue collapse along with the statue itself? Thunder's shockwave should have passed through it into the statue when she stomped the ground.


Artistry

The sequence of Thunder destroying the statue is a powerfully shot and directed moment.

The flashback sequences of Alvin Pierce's murder are suitably horrific.

The fight between Black Lighting and Thunder is well choreographed and a great use of special effects.


Trivia

The scene of Black Lightning looking down at Tobias Whale, ready to strike him down, mirrors a similar scene from Judd Winick's run on Green Arrow where Black Lighting struck down the businessman responsible for arranging the murder of his niece.  A later retcon changed it so that instead, Deathstroke the Terminator killed the man in away that made Black Lightning think he was responsible for the death, even though he only mildly electrocuted the man.


Technobabble

Lynn uses a portable CAT Scan machine to check Jefferson for brain damage. She determines that his powers are still overcharging his ability to heal, noting he still heals twice as fast as a normal person even though he's slowed down from when he was younger.

The brain scans of the Green Light addicts are unusual, being "lit up like a Christmas tree" where the grey-matter should be dark.

The research Anissa found in her grandfather's storage unit is scientific research into human mitochondria and how they provide energy in human cells that can be altered in various ways to potentially create super powers.

Gambi says that Jefferson's powers are largely neurological and that his brain picks up and uses electricity the same way a normal person might pick-up any other tool.

The Black Lightning suit prevents Jefferson from blowing out his nervous system by using his powers. When the resistance is set too high, it causes feedback (i.e. the headaches that Jefferson had been having)

Albinos suffer from eye problems and skin ailments far more than most people. This requires them to seek regular medical treatment.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jefferson: (To Anissa) Let me ask you a question. Should I have you committed? Because you've obviously lost your damn mind.
Anissa: That statue, Dad, is an insult to black people, glorifying a national traitor.
Jefferson: You broke the law, Anissa. That gives the police an excuse to hurt you. And on top of that, you used guns. Guns!
Anissa: They were water guns.
Jefferson: They looked enough like real guns to be the end of you. All it takes is for one cop - one cop - to see your color instead of your humanity and decide "better dead than sorry". (sighs) Look, you're a black woman. You don't have the luxury of being naive.
Anissa: I know. I know. You've said that a thousand times-
Jefferson: Then hear it!
Anissa: Okay!.
Jefferson: And I will stop saying it!
Anissa: Okay!

Gambi: Jefferson? I don't know what you're up to, but there is a difference between you and Tobias. You need to keep it that way.

(One of the burglars raises his gun on Thunder. She holds her breath and he empties his gun into her. She grabs it from him, throws it away, then throws him across the room. The second burglar, clearly shaken, raises his gun, hands shaking as he stares down Thunder.)
Thunder: What? You thought he missed?

(Jefferson, looking down at the injured, costume-clad Anissa.)
Jefferson: What the hell was she doing?
Lynn: What you do! She has powers, Jeff!

Gambi: Evelyn.
Lady Eve: Peter Gambi. How did you get past all my security?
Gambi: Evelyn, I taught you everything you know. Not everything I know.


Continuity

The episode opens immediately where 105 ended, with Jefferson passing out after fighting Joey Toledo and the police en route to catch him.

Gambi is able to get to Jefferson and saves him before the police find him.

Tobias Whale once again makes reference to Lady Eve's threat regarding the magical properties of albino's bones from 104.

Tobias Whale has a protection squad watching his sister Tori in the face of Lady Eve's threat.

Jefferson says he was there when Tobias Whale killed his father, Alvin Pierce.

Anissa is arrested for vandalizing a statue of a Confederate general with a super-soaker full of red paint along with a group of other activists.

Jennifer says she's the only one in the Pierce family who is bad at math.

Jennifer says that she's reconsidering her relationship with Khalil in the face of his paralysis but feels guilty about that.

Jefferson gets the feeling that Gambi is reluctant to see him go after Tobias Whale.

Anissa asks Lynn to help her with researching the data Alvin Pierce uncovered.

Lynn's research assistant seems to be in the employ of The 100. We see him going to make a phone-call after he sees Lynn comparing the Green Line users brain scans to Jefferson's. Gambi also seems to go out of his way to talk to Lynn before her assistant shows up.

Jefferson begins investigating doctors in Freeland who specialize in treating albinos to try and find Tobias Whale.

Khalil begins joining in with the girls cyber-bullying Jennifer, now blaming her for his paralysis since he only went to the rally in 103 to be with her.

Anissa puts on her new Thunder costume to destroy the statue following a White Nationalist driving his car into a group of student protesters, killing one 19 year old woman.

Anissa was born on June 28, 1994

Jennifer was born on October 7, 2001.

Anissa is bullet proof when she braces herself.

Anissa also proves to be immune to her father's electrical attacks, though she still develops a concussion, bruises and burns once he starts magnetically throwing her against the floor and ceiling instead of just trying to shock her.

Jefferson and Lynn discover that Anissa has super powers.

Tobias Whale and Syonide take Khalil on a ride, saying that he will walk again very soon and learn what it is to be a wolf among sheep.

Lady Eve's real name is Evelyn.

Gambi claims to have taught Lady Eve everything she knows. They were part of the same Agency before they both retired.

Apparently there was some kind of deal Gambi negotiated that made The Pierce Family off-limits. Lady Eve says the bargain is still in place, but that Lynn Stewart had been engaging in some off-limits research. The burglars were just supposed to steal her research. They were not expecting her to be there or the metahuman who attacked The Plummer Crew (i.e. Thunder).

This is the first episode in which metahumans are mentioned, suggesting the term is not unknown in the universe of Black Lightning.

Gambi says he could have outed Tobias Whale in the past but didn't. Lady Eve says that if anything happens to Tobias Whale, Gambi's dirty laundry will be revealed as well.


The Winick Factor

Portryaing Jefferson Pierce as a man capable of killing in cold blood is a Winickian conceit.


The Bottom Line

Not the most well-written episode. There's not a lot of snappy dialogue and there's way too many subplots starting out. As a result, nothing seems like it gets very well developed up until the third act when the Anissa, Jefferson and Lynn subplots all come crashing together. This still leaves Jennifer's bully subplot just sitting there and everything with Khalil comes out of left field after his absence last week. Still, hopefully the disjointed feel of the show over the past two weeks will get better now that Anissa and Jefferson know each others secrets.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 4 - Black Jesus

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

As The 100 introduce a new designer drug called Green Light to the streets of Freeland, the public cries for Black Lightning to lead the fight against them. At the same time, Anissa launches her own war on crime as Jefferson fights to save one student who made one bad choice from being expelled by a school board out for blood.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella.


Performances

Jason Louder gives a fantastic comic-relief performance as Frank "Two-Bits" Tanner.

Honestly, the whole ensemble is so fantastic, it's hard to single any one out in each episode so far.


Artistry

The electric vision effects look amazing.


Trivia

The episode title is a reference to Jefferson Pierce's nickname in Freeland, because everyone thinks he can do no wrong and walks on water. It was first mentioned by LaWanda White in 102.

In the classic Black Lightning comic from the 1970s, "Two Bits" Tanner was a low-level informant who helped Black Lightning with tips on The 100's activities. In Black Lightning: Year One, he was retconned into Frank "Two-Five" Tanner - a high-level boss in The 100, who owned one-quarter of their operations, hence the nickname. He was also Jefferson Pierce's brother-in-law.

The DCTVU version of Two-Bits was someone Jefferson Pierce knew growing up, who was a few years younger than him. Two-Bits holds a similar role to his classic comics counterpart as a low-level thug, but he does not dress like Huggybear.


Technobabble

Green Light gives a teenage boy enough strength to rip a urinal off a wall and throw it at least 20 feet. It also gives him enough endurance to shrug off two of Black Lightning's taser-level blasts.  According to Gambi, it's like crack and PCP had a baby in terms of its chemical composition.

The way Green Light attaches to neuro-receptors will hook the target after one taste.

Lady Eve notes that there are some parts of Africa where albinos are considered magical and they are kidnapped and killed so their body parts can be used in rituals.

The goggles of the new Black Lighting costume give Jefferson "electric vision" allowing him to see the electrical signature of any powered object.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Black Lightning shocks a thug, demanding to know who is behind Green Light.)
Thug: Okay!  Two-Bits!
Black Lightning: Two-Bits?
Thug: I know it sounds like a 70's slang name, but that's what he goes by!

Inspector Henderson: Whenever somebody says "no offense", it's usually right before they say something really offensive.

Anissa: Look, somebody has to do something because all of this policing and marching and praying - it hasn't changed anything!

Jefferson:  The cops are coming your way. You might wanna get out of this before it gets too hot for you.
Two-Bits: Get out and do what? (pauses) Look, I appreciate you looking out, but I got a family to take care of.
Jefferson: Yeah, but this Green Light stuff is bad news, bruh. Now look - you want to tell me anything? Maybe I can help.
Two-Bits: I've got nothing to tell.  It is what it is, bruh.

(Gambi is telling Jefferson about the large number of Green Light overdoses.)
Gambi: You'd think it would be on the news.
Jefferson: Yeah, black kids OD-ing has never been newsworthy.

Two-Bits: Hey. The streets are talking man! I heard what you did to Block!
Black Lighting: What did you hear?
Two-Bits: I heard you lit his ass up!
Black-Lightning: Good. That should save us some time.

Two-Bits: Hey, hey, hey. Real, real quick. Before you knock me out? Uh, you think I can get a pic?
(Black Lightning is stunned as Two-Bits puts an arm around his shoulders and pulls out his phone.)
Two-Bits: And can you make sure you light up?
Black-Lightning: What?! No!
(Black Lighting taser-punches Two-Bits and lowers him to the ground. He shakes his head as he walks off.)

(Jefferson is testing the electric-vision of his new suit.)
Gambi: So what do you see?
Jefferson: (awestruck) I see everything.
(We get a POV shot as Jefferson looks at the city, glowing and full of life.)

Tobias Whale: How'd you like the gifts?
(Khalil wakes up from a doze and turns to see Tobias Whale sitting in the guest chair of his room. He moves to turn the light on.)
Tobias Whale: You mind keeping the lights off? They hurt my eyes. (smiles) My name is Tobias Whale.
Khalil: What are you doing in my room?
Tobias Whale: I wanted to see how you were doing.
Khalil: Why'd you give me all those gifts?
Tobias Whale: I understand what you're going through. You see, Black Lightning messed my life up too. I wanted you to have some nice things to keep your mind off your troubles. I know it's hard to see now, but in time you will. Black Lightning's the reason you're lying here paralyzed. There was many times when I was younger I needed help, but no one showed up. I don't want to see you have to go through the same thing.
Khalil: Why?
Tobias Whale: Well... I've followed your athletic career a long time and it hurt me to see you hurt. But what I've learned about pain is pain makes you stronger. Pain makes you tougher. And eventually you get to a point where you don't even feel it. If you'd like, I can show you how to kill your pain.


Continuity

Green Light is a new designer drug made by The 100.

Jefferson has contacts with all the street-level drug dealers in Freeland, but doesn't know any of their bosses.

The dealer behind Green Light is a man called Two-Bits.

Two Bits hangs out at a bar called Tanner's Tap Room on 7th Street.

Tobias Whale used to be a politician in Freeland before starting a new career leading The 100.

Lady Eve is part of the group backing The 100.

Tobias Whale built his reputation on the belief that he killed Black Lightning.

The dealer selling Green Light at Freeland High is named Ronald Wright.

The Freeland High bylaws give the principal sole authority over whether or not a student can be expelled.

Joey Toledo kills the corner who failed to properly identify Black Lightning's body.

Anissa beats up the drug dealers that were trying to deal Green Light to her students.

36 people have ODed on Green Light in Freeland. Six of them fatally.

Two-Bits agrees to stop selling drugs in exchange for Black Lightning not calling the cops on him.

The warehouse where Two-Bits gets the Green Light is at 389 Hart Avenue.

Jennifer quits the track team.

Tori Whale is Tobias Whale's sister. She is a new character unique to the DCTVU.

Grace Choi is bisexual.

Gambi lies to Jefferson about not seeing what caused the explosions that he heard. He goes to the scene of where Anissa fought off the bigots who attacked Grace and takes a picture of the footprint that she stomped into the concrete.

Khalil was a two-time state champion sprinter.

Tobias White still has warrants out for his arrest in Freeland.

Tori Whale suggests using Khalil to turn the people of Freeland against Black Lightning.

Khalil is told that his spinal cord is completely severed.

Jefferson gives up his right to final say on expelling students in exchange for saving Bernard from expulsion. Henceforth, the principal has one vote equal to that of all the other school board members.

There is a dope house at 367 34th Street.


The Bottom Line

A fantastic episode with some great comedy moments (courtesy of Two-Bits) and an even expansion of all the subplots so far. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Gambi's secretiveness and Anissa's relationship with Grace. This show continues to intrigue with every passing episode.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 3 - LaWanda: The Book of Burial

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.





Plot

As the people of Freeland begin to rally against The 100 in the wake of LaWanda White's death,  Anissa begins to test the limits of her newfound powers. Jefferson and Lynn reexamine their relationship and Jennifer approaches her parents about a big decision that she's made.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella, The Outsiders comics of Mike W. Barr (shown on screen) and the Outsiders comics of Judd Winick (character of Grace Choi)


Goofs

Grace describes the comic Outsiders as being about "young folks with outsized powers traveling the world, knocking bad guys on their asses." While this is a vaguely accurate description of Judd Wnick's Outsiders comics, the comic she's holding is from the 1990s Mike W. Barr run.

Granting that this is a comic book TV show, how the heck does Gambi afford to have a holographic Hogan's Alley and state-of-the art mapping system set up in his basement on the salary of an inner-city tailor?


Performances

The entire dinner scene of Jennifer telling her parents she's ready to have sex is a master-class in physical acting. The expressions and physicality of the actors is a treat to watch as we see what they are all thinking without a word being said.


Artistry

The opening sequence in which Anissa tests her powers against the backdrop of the music from LaWanda White's funeral is a powerfully directed and shot scene.

The shooting scene is another perfect moment of acting, direction, cinematography and music working together to make something perfect.


Trivia

Anissa meets a librarian/bartender named Grace Choi while researching genetic mutation.  In the Outsiders comics of Judd Winick, Grace Choi was a member of The Outsiders who was recruited to the team while working a job as a nightclub bouncer. She was eventually revealed to be of Amazon heritage, but had been genetically enhanced beyond even the normal capabilities of her people. She had super-strength, enhanced durability and regeneration powers. She and Anissa Pierce began dating and became a couple.

Grace Choi carries an Outsiders comic book in her back pocket while working at the library. The specific comic in question is Outsiders #16 (March 1995). This is the same issue which introduced the third version of the villain Syonide, who was part of an all-female villain team along with Lady Eve. This version of Syonide was in a lesbian relationship with sorceress Fauna Faust - a subtle hint at Grace's sexual preferences?

Grace makes reference to Supergirl as a character people cosplay as. It is unclear if this means there is a Supergirl in the reality of this Earth or if she's considered a fictional character in the Earth of Freeland.

Grace also make reference to a superhero called Looker, who people who like vampires are into. Looker was a member of the classic Outsiders team, first appearing in Batman and the Outsiders #25 (September 1985). Originally a mousy bank teller, the activation of Emily Briggs' metagene gave her amazing psychic powers as well as a more traditionally beautiful body. Taking on the name of Looker, she was a steadfast member of the Outsiders. Bitten by a vampire, she inherited all of the standard vampire powers but few of the weaknesses due to the nature of her metagene working to enhance her physical body. She can still walk around in daylight and is resistant to holy symbols, but she can only take nourishment from blood and experiences severe bouts of bloodlust.


Technobabble

Gambi decreases the resistance within the circuitry of Black Lightning's costume. This will allow for a smoother transfer of power into Jefferson's body.

Gambi also fixes the right gauntlet of the suit so that it can be used to create a thinner stream of electricity, so that Black Lightning can make targeted strikes with less collateral damage. Also, thinner streams have lower voltage requirements and reduce power drain.

Gambi creates a holographic virtual reality shooting game that allows Jefferson to practice making targeted shots with his new suit.

Anissa does some research on genetic mutation.

Gambi also has a high-tech holographic display table in his basement that allows him to create a holographic map of the march route that he and Jefferson can use for planning strategy.

Black Lighting creates an electric force-field that protects the crowd from the bullets of Whale's gunman.


Dialogue Triumphs

(As Inspector Henderson is trying to talk the Reverend out of his march against The 100.)
Reverend Holt: See, we gonna put our trust in The Almighty. Because we damn sure can't put our trust in you. You got that?
Inspector Henderson: C'mon, that - that's not true, Jeremiah and you know it.
Reverend Holt: What, those crooked cops send you down here like the overseer? Put the slaves in check? Huh?
Inspector Henderson: While you're up in the pulpit with a $25,000 watch on... wiping your forehead with a silk handkerchief, I'm scraping young black men's bodies off the concrete. The street is my pulpit.
Jefferson: Billy, okay.
(Jefferson puts a hand between Henderson and Holt as Henderson steps forward, all but in the Reverend's face.)
Henderson: I wear work shoes. What kind of shoes you wear, Reverend?

Reverend Holt: They used to call you Black Jesus.
Jefferson: Yeah, well maybe they listen to me because they believe in what I'm saying.
Reverend Holt: No, we listened because you were one of us. You were out on the streets, fighting with us. Now it seems like the only ones you care about are the ones in your school. Or the ones in your home.
Jefferson: That's not true, Jeremiah. It never has been. Freeland is my home too, man!
Reverend Holt: Really?
Jefferson: I fight the best way I know how.
Reverend Holt: Look, man. I know you and Henderson think I'm marching for my own glory, but I'm not. (pauses) I'm tired, man. If it ain't the police killing us, we killing us. And it's time for me... it's time for us to take our lives back. Even if it means we have to be willing to die.

(Reverend Holt expresses his belief that Black Lightning's return is God's work.)
Jefferson: But what if you're wrong, Reverend, hmm? What if you're wrong about Black Lightning?
Reverend Holt: I'm not.

Lady Eve: I don't mind people believing in God. They just can't believe that they can take back these streets.
Tobias Whale: Amen, Lady Eve.

(Khalil confesses about lying about not being a virgin to Jennifer.)
Jennifer: So... a fine-ass virgin tells the truth and risks remaining a virgin? Khalil, my virgin self couldn't find you sexier right now.

(Gambi and Jefferson are discussing how to alter the march route to make it easier to protect the crowd.)
Gambi: So even if I break into the PD's computers and alter it, there's no guarantee everyone gets the message.
Jefferson: No, I know. I was thinking of something a bit more old-school than that.
Gambi: What? Shriners on lawn-mowers to lead people the other way?
Jefferson: Close. I was thinking more like a handsome Italian gentleman in coveralls.
Gambi: Whenever you call me handsome, I almost always end up dirty.
Jefferson: Well, then you won't be disappointed by my plan.

Lynn: We are happy that you came to us, like we've always encouraged you to.
Jefferson: (distantly) So happy.
Lynn: And... glad that you felt so comfortable.
Jefferson: (to himself) You are so young.
Jennifer: How old were you guys?
(Jefferson gives Lynn a "Well honey?" look. Lynn responds by taking a large sip of wine.)
Jennifer: Never mind. (laughs)

(Jefferson is asking Khalil how he towels off after a shower.)
Jefferson: So... Feet. Legs. Etc.
Khalil: Yeah. Yeah. That sounds about right.
Jefferson: So the young man... who wants to have sex with my daughter... who spends much of his time in locker rooms... dries his fungus-covered feet before he dries his important parts?
Khalil: Sir, I -
Jefferson: No-no! I'm asking you! Do you want to give my daughter Athlete's Foot in places where athlete's feet should not be?!
Khalil:  (confused) I don't think so?
Jefferson: "I don't think so?" Son, the answer is no! And if you don't know that, then maybe you and Jennifer need to slow down.
(Jefferson turns around and grins wickedly to himself as Khalil looks truly terrified.)

Tobias Whale: These are my streets. And nobody messes with my streets. Now stop bleeding on my desk.


Continuity

Anissa misses LaWanda White's funeral because she's testing her super-strength in a junk yard.

The Pierce family are Methodists and attend Freeland United Methodist Church.

After being hit by a falling cube of crushed metal, Anissa discovers that she is super durable as well as super strong.

Reverend Holt repeats the line about how everyone in Freeland calls Jefferson Pierce Black Jesus. LaWanda White said the same thing in 102.

Tobais Whale believes that he killed Black Lightning and that the new Black Lightning is an impostor.

Both Jennifer and Khalil are virgins.

Anissa meets a librarian/bartender named Grace who invites her to a superhero cosplay party.

Grace tends bar at the Ruby Red-Lipstick Bar.

Jennifer tells her parents she thinks she's ready to have sex. They do not take this news well.

Jennifer has never been to a protest march before.

The Pierce Family doctor is Dr. Bass. Lynn makes an appointment with him to see about getting Jennifer on birth control.

Lynn suggests Jennifer move back in with her if Jefferson is going to keep being Black Lightning.

Anissa's girlfriend Chenoa dumps her after finding Anissa, dressed in a cat costume, dancing with Grace at her bar.

A unarmed young black man named Jamal Allen Brown is shot and killed by the policeon the streets of Freeland.

Lynn, Anissa and Jennifer attend the march together.

Syonide shoots Reverend Holt. The shot passes through him and hits Khalil.

Reverend Holt is said to recover.

Lynn recants her suggestion that Jennifer come move in with her, saying that the shooting showed her that danger is everywhere.

Gambi deletes the security footage showing Tobias Whale at the scene of the shooting.

Anissa tells Lynn about her brake-up with Chenoa. Lynn says she knows that isn't really what's bothering her, but that she'll be ready to talk when Anissa is ready.

The bullet that hit Khalil hit his spine. Jennifer says he may never walk again.


The Fridge Factor

Lynn and the girls are put in danger to throw Jefferson off his game, but they're part of a larger crowd he's already working to protect.


The Bottom Line

Another solid episode, which further develops the characters and pushes the drama of The Pierce Household over the neighborhood conflict while drawing parallels between the various conflicts. This show gets better with every episode.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 2 - LaWanda: The Book of Hope

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

As Anissa and Jennifer recover from their shocking experience being abducted by The 100 and Anissa tries to understand the strange power she seems to possess, Jefferson notices a sense of hope that seems to have been restored in the community by the rumors of Black Lightning's return. Peter Gambi is urging him to return but Lynn wants him to stay retired. With the possibility of patching things up with his ex-wife on the horizon, what will Jefferson do when he discovers that The Seahorse Motel is back up and running, the men who abducted his daughters are back on the street and the daughter of one of his former students is among the girls The 100 has forced into prostitution?


Influences

The Black Lighting comics of Tony Isabella


Goofs

Not really a goof,  but it seems kind of funny that the show's introduction has Jefferson Pierce declaring Black Lightning is back but the opening scene has him reassuring his ex-wife that Black Lightning is not coming back as she helps him off the bathroom floor after he falls and can't get up while trying to get some painkillers.


Performances

Jordan Calloway has an impressive first appearance as Khalil, Jennifer's boyfriend. In a genre where it's usually the girlfriends whipping the boyfriends into shape, it's unusual to see the boyfriend put in the role of being the one to put his foot down on underage drinking without things getting preachy or religion being brought up. It's one of the subtler ways this show is proving itself to be different from most superhero shows and black dramas and it's a good change to see.


Artistry

The sequence in which Jefferson is struggling to get out of bed and uses his powers to adjust his bad back is a perfect blend of acting, effects work, camera work and music to create a great scene.

The music for the whole episode is fantastic.

The staircase fight.  Just... everything about the staircase fight.


Trivia

The quote LaWanda White gives Jefferson - "Unless all of us are free, none of us will be free." - was made by Canadian civil rights leader Rosemary Brown.

This episode confirms that, like her comics book counterpart, the DCTVU version of Anissa Pierce is a lesbian.

The end of the episode seems to confirm that Tobias well is unusually strong, if not possessing some form of super-strength, as he is able to strangle Lala to death with one hand.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jefferson: It has been nine years since I've even come close to using my powers. It is time that people know that Black Lightning is back.

(Lynn is lying in bed next to Jennifer. She hears Jefferson moaning in the bathroom and goes to find him on the floor, trying to stand up. 
Lynn: Oh, Jeff.
(She gets down on the floor with him and starts trying to rub his muscles to relax them.)
Lynn: I've got you, okay? I've got you.
(Jefferson grunts but manages to get to a sitting position as she massages his shoulders.)
Lynn: Black Lightning is getting too old for these streets.
(The two laugh.)
Jefferson: You're not lying about that.
Lynn: You remember when we were young?  When I first saw your superpowers, I thought you were so co cool.
(The two laugh again.)
Lynn: That my man was a superhero. Not many girls could say that. Then the reality hit. And what I thought was cool almost destroyed us. (sighs) When I see you like this, I... I feel really selfish.
(Jefferson looks up at her and shakes his head.)
Jefferson: Hold on. I did this.
Lynn: I know but... I .. I feel like a hypocrite. I told you to go get the girls. I put you back out there...
Jefferson: Lynn, Black Lightning is not back. The girls are safe. I'm done. (pauses) I love you, Lynn.  I miss you.
Lynn: I miss you too.
(The two kiss passionately, but Lynn pulls away and starts to stand.)
Lynn: I - I should go.
Jefferson: Uh, wait. Wait (standing up) I think it's important for you to be here for the girls. So I will sleep on the couch. You take the bed.
Lynn: Okay.
Jefferson: Good night.
(Jefferson kisses her on the cheek as he walks past her.)
Lynn: Good night.

LaWanda White: When I was a student here, you used to like to use quotes to teach us. Well, I've got one - "Unless all of us are free, none of us will be free."

(Tobias White is ordering his men to collect 50% more protection money.)
Tobias White: Squeeze these darkies 'til they crack!
Lala: Damn, boss. You really do hate black people.
Tobias White: No. I love black people. I hate incompetent, thick-lipped, scratch-where-it-don't-itch Negroes like you. You all keep us acting like newly-freed slaves.

Jefferson: Don't mistake my patience for weakness, boy.

Jefferson: (To Lynn)  Do you remember what you said when we discovered my powers? You said it was a gift. A blessing from God. It's still a gift. It's still a blessing from God. And I intend to use it. Not just for the girls, but for all the other people out there who need me.

Gambi: Mobile phones are the enemy of bad guys. When are they gonna learn?

Khalil: I've seen it all, J. Brother shot and killed. Father in jail. Mama working her damn ass off just to provide. Yeah, I live the life the rappers talk about, and ain't none of it cute! None of it! But you know what? God gave me a gift. I can run fast. So I'm gonna run my black ass straight out of here. And I ain't looking back. (pauses) And I want you to come with me. But not like this. No, that is going backwards and I can't do that.
Jennifer: I just see the world completely different now.
Khalil: Oh,  I got you. Really, I do. It's just growing up. (sighs) Come here, J.
(Jennifer leans into Khalil as he hugs her.)

Lynn: He was happy.
Gambi: But what kind of happy?  Happy like a lion in a cage? King of the zoo, not of the jungle?
Lynn: Happy like a man who was as peace just being Jefferson Pierce.
Gambi: But he isn't just Jefferson Pierce. He is so much more than that. And you know that better than anyone!
Lynn: I do. And that's why I want you to stop him before he gets addicted again.
Gambi: We have a difference of opinion on that. I don't believe Jefferson was ever addicted to his powers. He was in a war to save this city and its people. And he was winning! And then he suddenly stopped. Because he was addicted to you. And now look at the condition of the city and its people. It's complete chaos!
Lynn: Sounds like you're blaming me for the chaos.
Gambi: A little. Just like you blame me, then and now. But ultimately, it is Jefferson's choice what he does with his powers.

(Black Lightning takes down three of Lala's thugs in the apartment complex lobby. The elevator attendant stares in shock. He waves to Black Lightning.)
Elevator Attendant: I got you.
Black Lighting: Nah. I'm gonna take the stairs (kicks at one of the thugs who is trying to get back up) I'm just getting back into this. A brother needs all the exercise he can get.


Continuity

LaWanda White is a former student of Jefferson Pierce's whose daughter Shaquandalyn was taken by the 100 and forced into prostitution at The Seahorse Motel but whom the police refuse to look for saying there's no evidence the girl was taken against her will.

LaWanda got married to another of Jefferson's students, Darnell, who joined the Marines and died while serving overseas.

LaWanda says that everyone in Freeland calls Jefferson Pierce Black Jesus because he can go anywhere and do anything.

The Seahorse Motel was open for business again the day after Black Lightning attacked it in 101.

Will, the thug who abducted Jennifer and Anissa, was able to escape from police custody.

Jennifer has a friend named Khalil who calls to check up on her.

Malik, the tween-age drug dealer from 101, attacks Jennifer with a squirt-gun full of red dye while posing as a kid selling candy.

Peter Gambi is a skilled enough computer hacker to get into the Freeland PD computer system. He claims to be able to get into any sort of database.

Anissa has a girlfriend, Chenoa, whom she has been dating for a year. Chenoa wants a more steady relationship and for Anissa to meet her parents, but Anissa is happy with how things are.

Anissa tells her Chenoa about how she broke the sink and thinks there's something wrong with her. Chenoa says they can find her a good therapist and how she's sure it was just old porcelain.

Jefferson is aware of Anissa's sexual orientation and her relationship with her girlfriend and is cool with it.

Lala kills Will.

Jennifer has a secret smoking habit, which she hides from Khalil.

Jennifer's likes to perch on the rooftop outside her bedroom window.

Jennifer and Khalil become boyfriend and girlfriend. He gives her an inexpensive necklace.

Neither Jefferson nor Lynn can remember Anissa's girlfriend's name.

Lynn is a neuroscientist.

Lala kills LaWanda White. Unbeknownst to him, however, the entire thing is captured by the cel-phone she has running in her car.

Jennifer gets drunk with her friend Kiesha in secret at school. Khalil chews her out for it.

Khalil's father is in jail and his brother was shot and killed.

Anissa is having trouble sleeping and thwarts a robbery while trying to buy sleeping pills at a pharmacy. She is able to throw a man roughly 10 feet over one aisle display and through a second one.

Tobias Whale is shown to have connections in the Freeland Police Department who will allow him into the jail.

Tobias Whale  kills Lala in his cell, strangling him with one hand.


The Fridge Factor

Averted, as Anissa stops a robbery.


The Winick Factor

Jefferson does get Lala but entirely by accident. His attack on Lala summons the police, who discover where Lala is hiding after finding the evidence to convict him entirely on their own. Nice though it is to see a superhero show where the cops aren't all blisteringly incompetent.


The Bottom Line

Another solid episode, though light on superhero action  The supporting cast is getting fleshed out as we are introduced to Jennifer and Anissa's love interests and Jefferson is given a strong conflict in the form of his desire to do the right thing and his desire to win back the woman he wants to share his life with. It remains to be seen how the relationship with Lynn will develop in upcoming episodes but right now the drama between all the characters is as easily as engaging as the superhero side of the story.